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No. s|s,s79. Patented' Jan. 24,1899.

' J. EDMUNDS.

CLOTH DOUBLING MACHINE.

(Application filed bee. a1, 1897.

4 Sheets-Sheet I.

(N0 Model.)

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Patented Jan. 24,, 899.

4 Sheets-Sheet 2.

J E D M UlN'fElS- CLOTH DUUBLINGI MZKBZWIiNTEM (Application filed Dam. 31;. 18917 No. 6l8,379.

(No Model.)

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Patented Ian. 24, I899.

.No. 6l8,379

Y J. EDMUNDS.

CLOTH DOUBLING MACHINE.

(Application filed Dec. 31, 1897.)

4.Sheats8heet 3.

(N0 Model.)

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No. s|a,379. Patented Jan. 24. I899. .1. enmunns. CLOTH DOUBLING MACHINE.

(Application filed Dec. 81, 1897.)

4 Sheets-Sheet 4.

(No Modei.)

NI'IED STATES PATENT Eric."

M. GOODALE, OF SAME PLACE.

CLOTH-DOUBLING MACHINE SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 618,379, dated January 24, 1899.

Application filed December 31, 1897.- Serial No. 664,806- (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Beit known that I, JOHN EDMUNDS, of-Waltham, county of Middlesex, State of Massaletters and figures on the drawings representing like parts.

The machine the subject of this invention has been devised to automatically double cloth longitudinally twice in succession, my machine laying the cloth at one operation smoothly and evenly in four thicknesses at one continuous operation.

, Heretofore cloth has been folded over socalled plicators occupying a substantially horizontal position and presenting edges occupying a position one with relation to the other at an angle of about ninety degrees, the cloth being wrapped about these angular edges and passed between traction-rolls central with relation to said plicator and parallel to the same, and from these tractionrolls the cloth laid in contact one-half against the other is led between a pair of feedingrollers, and this operation may be repeated. In my experiments with a machine for doing this work I have found it essential for its correct operation that the plicator stand at an angle to the feeding-rollers and that the space between the under side of the plicator and said rolls be entirely free, open, and unobstructed at about the edges of the plicator, so that the material leaving the point of the plicator may be led directly into the space between and be engaged by the feed-rolls. I have also by experiment ascertained that the plicator for the best results should present an angle of less than ninety degrees and that the edges of the cloth must pass from the edges of the plicator in a straight line directly to the nip of the feed-rolls, and by changing the angle at which the plicator stands with relation to the nip of the feed-rolls the tension or strain 011 the edges of the cloth may be kept uniform with that exerted by the point of the plicator to thereby insure accurate folding as, for instance, if the tension exerted on the cloth by the point of the plicator is excessive the angle of the plicator with relation to the feed-rolls may be increased to equalize the strain. In the machine here to be described the cloth meets with no obstruction between the plicator and the feed-rolls, and the straighter the travel of the cloth the better it operates. The main plicator herein to be described is located between the feedrolls and web-controlling devices and is made horizontally adjustable with relation to the length of the feed-rolls. The second plicator has an adjustable nose, and the feeding mechanism, shown as rolls to take the cloth from the said plicator, is so made as to draw the cloth from the point of the plicator at a surface speed less than the surface speed. of the feeding mechanism acting on the edges of the material being laid to form the second fold. To do this, the feed-rolls instead of being cylindrical are of tapering form, they increasing in diameter away from the point of the second plicator, so that the material at the said point is always kept under strain and taut to thereby lay the four thicknesses even and without wrinkles.

Figure 1 is a top or plan View of a clothfolding machine embodying the invention to be herein described; Fig. 2, a section of Fig. l in the line 00. Fig. 2" is a detail of one of the bars 0 somewhat enlarged; Fig.3, a View of Fig. 2, looking toward the left.- Fig. 4 is an irregular sectional detail in the line x, Fig. 1, looking toward the machine; Fig. 5, a detail, much enlarged, of the second folder;

Fig. 6, a section of Fig. 5 in the line a Fig. 7 is a section in the line 512 Fig. 5; and Fig. 8 shows one of the second pair of feeding-rolls detached to show its tapering shape.

The first folder A consists of a frame p're senting two side bars a a, terminating in a point a the outer sides or edges of the said bars occupying such a position one with rela tion to the other as to present an angle of about or somewhat less than ninety degrees. The bars a and a may be madeof wood, and they may be joined at their widely-spread ends to a yoke or bar a suitable braces a extending from said bar or yoketo said side bars. The arms (1. of the yoke a are entered between ears a of rack bars aflfittedto slide in guideways-a bolted to the uprights or corn er-posts a". The point a of the plicator terminates substantially at or below the surfaceline of the top of the feed-rolls b b, and the plicator, it occupyin g an angular position with relation to said rolls instead of parallel therewith, as heretofore, has connected to it, at its rear side above said point, a neck I), having an attached horizontal rack 11 fitted to slide in a guideway 5 attached to a cross-bar b connecting the corner-posts a. The posts a also have attached to them suitable brackets If, having bearings for two vertical shafts h, each provided at its upper end with a pinion b engaging the teeth of the rack-bars a the said shafts having at tached to them near their lower ends each a bevel-gear which is engaged by a bevelgea-r b fast on a connecting-shaft b provided with a pinion b meshing with the rack 12*. One of the shafts 1) has a hand-wheel b, which when turned will actuate simultaneously both shafts b and the shaft Z2 as may be desired, to position the point of the plicator as may be desired with relation to the length of said feed-rolls.

The cloth to be folded is placed on a roll 0, suitably supported at the left-hand side, as herein shown, of the stationary frame B, having corner-posts a a, united by top g-irths a a. The top girths a have mounted on them one or more like cloth guiding and smoothing devices, shown as composed each of a rod 3, jointed at its ends to end pieces a, each rod 3 having near the middle of its length a pivot-pin 60, (see Fig. 1,) which enters a hole in one of the several top girths a. Each end piece has, as shown ,two other rods,on each of which is mounted a suitable roller-shell, as 2 and 4:. These several guiding and smoothing devices are joined together by a rod 0 said rod having attached to it ahandle or lever 0 by which the operator may turn the said guiding and smoothing devices and put them into a more or less angular position with relation to the direction of movement of the cloth through the machine, a slight change of position of said devices resulting in changing or shifting the cloth to the right or left, as may be desired, to thus insure that the center of the cloth to be folded will run over the point a of the plicator. The rod 0 passes through elongated slots 61 of the ears (32 of the bars 0, (see Fig. 2%) said rod having at each side of said ears suitable adjustable nuts, so that there will be very slight play between the ears and the nuts as the rod is moved longitudinally.

The frame B has a guide-roll a, over which the cloth passes on its way to the directing devices, and the upper end of the plicator has a roller 0 on which the cloth rests preparatory to passing over the plicator, said roller following the plicator in all its adjustments.

The main plicator is further braced and stilfened by a brace cl, connected to the yoke or bar a and to the neck Z). The feed-rolls b l) have their journals mounted in suitable evenly through the feed-rolls 61 (Z bearings d (Z and each has at one end a toothed gear (1 (Z in mesh one with the other, so as to move in unison. The gear (1 is engaged by a driving-gear (Z secured to one end of a shaft (1, having at its opposite end a bevel-gear (Z which engages a bevel-gear d on a shaft d carrying the feed-roll d of the second set or pair of feed-rolls (Z (W, cooperating with the second plicator e. The roll (Z is fast on a shaft 6, and it and the shaft (Z are journaled in bearings e 6 said shaft 6' being rotated from the shaft d by the gears e 8 the gear 6 being carriedby said shaft d. The shaft cl has a belt-pulley e to receive a belt driven from any usual counter-shaft of the mill, so that said shaft becomes the driving-shaft of the machine. The central fold of the cloth passes from the end of the plicator directly between the feeding-rolls, and the two edges 8 of the material pass directly from the edges of the bars a u" of the plicator to the rolls I), as shown in Fig. 2. The once-folded material passes under and about one of the rolls 1) to the sustaining roll f at the upper end of the second plicator e, and said cloth may also contact with a guidemoll f on its way to the second plicator. The upper end of the second plicator is held in position by bolts in a stand or bracket f (see Fig. 3,) the said plicator being supported between its ends by a suitable threaded strut f having adjusting-nuts f f to place the said plicator at the desired angle with relation to the plane in which the rolls (Z and c1 lie.

The second plicator has a movable nose g, mounted on a rod g, passed through ears of wear-plates g attached to the small end of the said plicator, its rounded inclined edge 10 occupying an angle of less than ninety degrees. The nose 9 has a connected, adjusting device, shown as a screw-threaded rod g provided with a nut g held loosely in the fork of an arm 9 mounted loosely on the rod g, the turning of said nut in one or the other direction raising or lowering said nose, its position being changed from time to time according to the class of goods being folded. The point 9 is in practice subjected to so much strain that it has to be made of metal, while the plicator e itself is or may be made of wood.

The point g of the plicator 6 supports four thicknesses ofcloth, and to enable all four of these thicknesses to be laid smoothly one on the other great care has to be taken to draw all four of these plies smoothly and To insure this, I have slightly tapered said rolls, they being of greater diameter at their ends most remote from the point of said plicator e, (see Fig. 8,) so that the parts of said rolls of greater diameter moving at a faster surface speed draw harder on the four thicknesses of material at the edges of the twicefolded web and stretch the said cloth firmly about the plicator, the feed-rolls taking away the said cloth. The twice-folded web is shown by dotted lines at to, Fig. 1, and it may pass to any usual cross-folding or winding devices. (Not shown.)

The shaft (1- is in fixed bearings; but the shaft e will or may be mounted in a movable box h, resting on the bearing 6 said box being normally acted upon at opposite sides by springs h and 71?. The stress of the spring h may be controlled by a threaded shaft 77, provided with a collar h and a hand-wheel 71 said shaft entering a threaded opening in a standard 71 This movable box enables the rolls to be adapted to nip closely any desired thickness of material.

The roll m, having its shaft or journals in suitable boxes, one of which is shown at'm, serves to support the twice-folded cloth, that one of said boxes herein shown being made adjustable by a screw m the rotation of the screw in one or the other direction changing the angle of said roll m sufficiently to control the direction of movement of the cloth passing over said roll with relation to a straight-line path.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to'secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a cloth-doubling machine,apair of'biting feed-rolls occupying a position in a substantially horizontal plane, and means to rotate said feed-rolls, combined with a plicator having its side edges located at an angle of about ninety degrees with relation each to the other, said plicator occupying an angular or diagonal position with relation to the horizontal plane occupied by said feed-rolls, the point of said plicator being extended substantially to the bite of said feed-rolls, and means to adjust both the upper and lower ends of said plicator in the direction .of the bite of said feed-rolls to thereby adapt the plicator to material of different widths, the material being folded passing from the side edges of said plicator directly into the nip of said rolls, said feeding-rolls drawing the ma terial directly from the edges of the plicator and folding the same longitudinally, substantially as described.

2. In a cloth-doubling machine, guiding and smoothing devices capable of having their angle changed with relation to the direction of travel of the cloth to be folded, to thereby control and direct the course of its movement through the machine; a pair of biting feedrolls occupying a position in a substantially horizontal plane, and means to rotate said feed-rolls; combined with a plicator having its side edges located at an angle of about ninety degrees with relation each to the other, said plicator occupying anangular or diagonal position of substantially fifty degrees with relation to the horizontal plane occupied by said feed-rolls, the point of said plicator being extended substantially to the bite of said feed-rolls, the space between the edges of the plicator and the said feed-rolls being entirely unobstructed, whereby the material being folded is free to pass from the edges of said plicator directly into the nip of said rolls, the feeding-rolls drawing the material directly from the edges of the plicator and folding the same longitudinally, substantially as described.

3. In a cloth-doubling machine, a plicator having its side edges located at an angle of about ninety degrees with relation each to the other and occupying an angular or diagonal position with relation to a horizontal plane, a roller supported by and located at the upper end of said plicator, means to simultaneously adjust said plicator and the roller carried by it longitudinally in the direction of the length of the feed-rolls; combined with a pair of feeding-rolls occupying ahorizontal position, the point of the plicator occupying a position substantially in thebite of said rolls, the space between the side edges of said plicator and said rolls being substantially unobstructed to thereby enable the cloth being folded to be extended from the side edges and point of said plicator in a straight line into the bite of said rolls, and means to rotate said rolls to draw the fabric from the plicator and fold the same longitudinally, substantially as described.

at. Ina cloth-doubling machine, a plicator having its edges located at an angle of about ninety degrees with relation each to the other, the edges of said plicator occupying an angular or diagonal position with relation to a horizontal plane; combined with a pair of biting feed-rolls occupying a horizontal position, the point of the plicator occupying a position substantially in the bite of said rolls, and the space between the side edges of the plicator and the said rolls, being substantially unobstructed to enable the cloth being folded to be led from the side edges and point of said plicator directly into the bite of said rolls, means to rotate said rolls to draw the fabric from the plicator and fold the same longitudinally, and means to automatically and simultaneously adjust in unison the upper and lower ends of said plicator horizontally with relation to said feeding-rolls, substantially as described.

5. In a cloth-doubling machine, a pair of feed-rolls and a plicator occupying an angular position with relation to the axis of said rolls, said plicator having extended from it a series of rack-bars; combined with a series of shafts having gears to engage said rackbars and automatically move both ends of said plicator longitudinally with relation to the-axis of rotation of said rolls, substantially as described.

6. In a machine for doubling cloth, a pair of feed-rolls, and a plicator having side edges and tapered to a point, said plicator occupying an angular position with relation to a hori zontal plane, a rack connected with said pli= cator rigidly at a distance above its point; a shaft and a pinion engaging said rack to adjust said plicator bodily longitudinally with relation to said rolls, the point of said plica- ICC) tor terminating substantially at the bite of said rolls, said plicator delivering the material from its point directly to the bite of the rolls, substantially as described.

7. In a doubling-machine for Webs, a plicator, provided at its apex with an adjustable nose, combined with a pair of feed-rolls, and means to move them, substantially as described.

8. In a doubling-machine for webs, a plicator, having an adjustable nose, combined with a pair of feed-rolls, a yielding box for one end of the shaft carrying one of said feedrolls, substantially as described.

9. In a doubling-machine for Webs, a plicator, having an adjustable nose, combined with a pair of feed-rolls, said feed-rolls being tapered, as described.

10. In a doubling-machine for webs, a plicator standing at an angle to the feeding rolls, combined with tapered feeding-rolls, and means to move said rolls, substantially as described.

11. In a machine for twice doubling material longitudinally, the following instrun1entalities, viz: a pair of feed-rolls, means to rotate them; a plicator having angular edges and occupying an angular position with relation to said rolls, the point of said plicator standing substantially close to the bite of said rolls, the space between the under side of said plicator and said rolls being unobstructed, to thereby enable the cloth to be led from the angular edges of said plicator in a straight line into the bite of said rolls; combined with a second pair of feed-rolls located at right angles to the said first pair of feed rolls; a second plicator having angular edges and located at an angle to said second pair of feed-rolls, and means to move said second pair of feed-rolls, said feed-rolls being tapered to thereby provide for a variable movement in the taking up of the cloth being fed between them, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

GEO. W. GREGORY, MARGARET A. DUNN. 

